Small Obstacles
by Venus4
Summary: A young (Approx 18 human years)and slightly naive prince of Mirkwood meets a mysterious stranger over a stream with a bite. Pairing: AragornLegolas


Title: Small Obstacles (Short Fic)

Author: Madtypings (Venus)

Pairings: Aragorn/Legolas

Rating:PG-13

Warnings: Sap, silliness and Fluff

Summary: A young and slightly naive prince of Mirkwood meets a mysterious stranger over a stream with a bite.

Authors Note: I'm in the currently in the process of writing a long fic and I must apologize that it is taking me so long to update. This fic popped out along the journey of trying to write the next chapters of 'A New Beginning' and begged to be written, it's just a bit of fun! No ring in this one completely AU, Legolas is still a young elf.

It is completely un-bata read, so all mistakes are mine.

Small Obstacles

Legolas often sought out the stream that flowed swiftly in front of him; it was near to the boarder of his father's lands and far away from the watching eyes of his father's guards and those of his siblings. It was a peaceful place, tranquil almost. The trees always sung to him as he lay between the roots that stretched out towards the waters edge. They sang of freedom, of distant times and in return he sang with them gently encouraging them to let him their stories. He often spent his time here just listening and singing, but today there was something else in the air, as well as the tree song. It did not appear threatening so he tried to pin point it with out moving from his place amongst the roots.

"You have a beautiful voice."

Legolas jumped up as he heard the voice, quickly arming himself with his knives as he turned to look upon that which had disturbed him.

"I mean you know harm." The voice said, this time Legolas was able to locate its owner. A man stood not far from him on the opposite side of the stream. He was a ranger of some kind, that much Legolas recognized immediately, his tattered clothes made that obvious, but other than that he could tell very little about him, though at that moment Legolas was more concerned that someone, a man no less, had been able to approach him with out his senses locating him first.

"How were you able to creep up on me?" Legolas asked curiously, placing his knives back in their scabbards on his back.

"I did not know you were here, until I heard your voice." The man grinned. He looked tried but friendly, and unlike most of the men Legolas had met he did not seem to be trying to hide a motive for talking to him.

"Yes, but I should have heard you coming towards me long before you spoke to me." Legolas tried to explain.

"That, my friend is down to living amongst your kind for far too long a time." The man remarked, a small smile forming on his lips. "My human name is Aragorn but at home I am known mostly as Estel."

"You live among Elves?" The young elf was suddenly curious. A son of man raised by elves was completely unheard of in Mirkwood, although he had heard his father mutter many times about that the elves of Rivendell had become relaxed in their ways and traditions.

"When both my mother and my father were killed I was very young and so was taken into the care of Elrond of Rivendell..."

"I'm sorry." Legolas interrupted before he could help himself, edging closer to the side of the stream, still intrigued by this mysterious man.

"What for?"

"For the death of your parents." Legolas answered, a pained expression crossed over his face. "I also have lost my mother; she died when I was very young."

"Then I am sorry also." The man said, the gentle smile never leaving his lips. "May I cross the stream, or would you prefer to converse as we have been over the small obstacle of this water."

"By all means, you may cross the water if you dare." Legolas smirked stepping back a few paces from the waters edge.

"What do you mean if I dare?"

"She can be very temperamental for such a small stream."

The man laughed. Elves and their connection to nature, he shook his head gently, the stream looked shallow and calm, but he would play along.

"I bet she can." He said, looking about him for some way to cross. "But never fear fair elf."

"Do not worry, I shall not fear for you but for the stream." Legolas laughed, again retreating a few more paces. "She may exert far too much energy on the likes of a ranger like you."

"Ahh, but I am not just a mere ranger fair elf, I am a ranger with a goal much higher than any other ranger I have met."

"And what is that?" Legolas queried coyly, unsure whether to back away from this man or not.

"To reach your side." At this the elf had to laugh, his musical voice encouraging the man to laugh also. He had to admit even to himself that this Aragorn was one of the finest looking humans he had ever come across.

He was quite content to let himself become the prey in this mans hunt.

"I do not know whether to think you brave or foolish." Legolas moved to settle himself on the ground. He leant back against the trunk of a tree, still laughing but he kept his eyes focused on this Aragorn, watching to see what the man would do next.

Aragorn glanced around for the easiest way across, there were no trees with low lying branches near by so climbing over, so that was the first option to be ruled out.

"If you take much longer I fear I will fall asleep, my irrational friend."

"Silence fair elf I am simply toying with ideas" Aragorn grinned, shaking his head slightly causing a few dark curls to come loose of their leather tie. "But do not fret I will be with you in mere moments."

"Oh I am not worried, I am in fact looking forward to the out come of this battle you insist upon initiating." The smirk etching its way across the elf's features, only increased the mans determination.

"A battle indeed, you have quite an imagination, I fear that you will be disappointed." He called out as he removed his leather boots, tucking them inside the backpack he had kept over his shoulder up until now.

"I do not think that you could possibly disappoint me." Aragorn did not miss the innuendo that was implied by the seemingly innocent looking elf and raised an eyebrow before turning back to his task at hand.

Once he was sure that all his belongings were secure he returned the backpack to his shoulders and took his first step towards the enticing elf.

Stepping forward his toes met with the ice chill of the water.

"What are you doing?" Legolas asked, his gaze never leaving the man.

"It doesn't look very deep I'll just wade across." He answered looking over at the elf, their eyes locked together for an instant. "Do not be anxious for me, I will be well."

"I am not anxious, although I will warn you."

"Of what?"

"She bites."

Grinning Aragorn shook his head, and waded with confidence further into the water.

It was ice cold.

At its deepest the water was only just deep enough to reach the bottom of the ranger's thighs but even so it chill clawed its way straight through his clothes and into his flesh like small daggers.

Legolas carefully watched as this Aragorn inched closer. He smiled at the expression of complete concentration that he could see resided on the mans features. The water must have been utterly bitter especially at this time of year, as the stream started its journey as ice upon snow covered mountains.

Aragorn was actually beginning to gain ground reasonably quickly, impressing the observing elf that was also moving nearer, closing in on the edge of the water.

Muttering under his breath Aragorn trod carefully he knew that unless he was cautious he would slip on the water smoothed stones that lay upon the riverbed, and that would be just to embarrassing for words.

Looking up he regarded the creature he was struggling to reach. "At least let me know name of the quarry that I so callously risk my life for."

"Callously?" Legolas raised himself from his crouch into a sitting position. "If you risk your life so then I suggest you head back while you still can." The elf sighed and shook his head at the man. "You are supposed to risk your life for the excitement of completing a challenge or to aid another, but not callously. You shall not live a long life if this is a regular occurrence to risk your life so needlessly."

"You have a romantic view on life my dear elf." Aragorn said as he steadied himself when one foot slipped slightly as he entered a deeper area of water. "You must be either very young or have led a very sheltered life to believe that all creatures willingly fight battles or face challenges for the love of another."

"That is not what I said."

"But it is what you meant?" Aragorn replied. He was grinning now, the water's bank was almost with in reach and the water was beginning to get shallower with every step.

Legolas laughed.

"I am not as naïve as you think me to be Ranger."

"I should hope not, for what use have I for a child?"

"And pray tell me Aragorn, but what use do you have in mind for me? That is if you ever reach me."

Aragorn smirked but did not respond as he confidently stretched out his arm and made a grab for a tree root stick out from the waters edge. In moments he would reach the elf's side and wipe the grin from his beautiful features and replace it with something far more intense.

But unfortunately for Aragorn, but much to the delight of the young elf, the ranger's sudden boost of confidence was enough for him to momentarily loose the concentration he need to keep a steady footing and his next step sent him reeling backwards into the streams icy cold waters.

"That was graceful."

Aragorn cursed silently at the voice and glanced up to meet a pair of laughing blue eyes looking down at him from the edge of the grassy bank.

"I'm glad that I am able to amuse you elf." Scowling he attempted to raise himself up from shallow water currently encasing him from the waist down.

Still laughing Legolas held out his hand which the man quickly grasped in order to prevent himself from slipping again.

"My you are cantankerous." Legolas tugged as Aragorn pushed up from the stream bed with his free hand, carefully lifting him out of the cold water.

"And so would you be if you were in my situation elf!"

Legolas raised an eyebrow and made no attempt to hide the smirk that stretched its way across his face. "Would I? You were warned son of man, therefore you have no one to blame but yourself."

"Well you will just have to find some way of consoling me." Now on his feet Aragorn pulled himself up on to dry ground without loosening his grip in the young elf.

"Really?" Legolas looked unconvinced as he studied the socking wet creature beside him. "And how do you suppose I go about such a task?"

"I have a few ideas." Aragorn's smile returned although now it had taken on more of a sinister appearance. He released Legolas' hand in order to rid himself of his backpack and cloak. Discarding them to one side he then turned back to face his companion. "Well are you not going to reward me for completing my task?"

The blond snorted. "Do you believe that you are worthy of the reward I would bestow on you?"

"I, a mere mortal man, could never hope to be worthy of one such as you but I promise I will attempt to please you in anyway that I can."

"Please me." Legolas repeated his gaze seeking out reassurance from the man that this was more than a game.

"I would never lie to you." Aragorn confirmed, placing the elf's concerns as ease and calming him enough that Legolas felt able to return to their baiting.

"I shall just have to put that to the test then won't I?"

"Then test away my dear elf. I am yours." Aragorn slowly leant back until he was laying flat on his back against the grass looking directly up in to his partners beautiful, alluring eyes.

Legolas laughed gently before leaning closer to his human. "A test needs to be carried out many times before accurate results can be gathered. Are you sure that you have the stamina needed?"

"There is only one way to find out." Aragorn grinned reaching up, placing his hand across the back of the elf's neck and lacing his roughened finger tips in with the soft flaxen strands. "And the sooner we start…" The rest of his sentence was left unsaid, not that he minded of course, as Legolas' soft lips were suddenly pressed solidly against his.

After a moment or two Legolas pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against the mans.

"Have you quite finished talking?" He asked innocently, his eyes were full of laughter.

"I have now, you cruel elf! Now where were we?" Aragorn used his grip on his elf's neck to pull him back down into a deeper kiss.

The End

Thank you for reading please R&R.

I want to eventually write a sequel to this and continue it in to a full length fic but let me finish my other fic first then I may come back to this one.


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